Director Ali Abbasi
Ali Abbasi (Persian: علی عباسی, born 1981) is an Iranian-Danish filmmaker.
He is best known for his films Shelley (2016), Border (2018), and Holy Spider (2022). Abbasi also directed the last two episodes of the first season of the series The Last of Us. He has received various accolades, including an Un Certain Regard award, four Robert Awards, and a German Film Award, in addition to nominations for seven European Film Awards, a Goya Award, and two Guldbagge Awards.
Ali Abbasi | |
|---|---|
 Abbasi in 2022 | |
| Born | 1981 (age 42–43) Tehran, Iran |
| Alma mater | Tehran Polytechnic KTH Royal Institute of Technology National Film School of Denmark |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2008–present |
Early life
Abbasi attended Tehran Polytechnic until 2002, when he emigrated to Sweden to study architecture at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. After earning his bachelor of arts in 2007, he enrolled at the National Film School of Denmark, earning a degree in 2011 with the short film M for Markus.
Abbasi lives in Copenhagen and continues to hold an Iranian passport.
Career
2018: Border
In 2018, Abbasi premiered his second film, Border. It won the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival, was selected as the Swedish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Even though the film didn't get a nomination in that category, it earned a nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
2022: Holy Spider
His third feature film, Holy Spider, came out in 2022 and was a Persian-language co-production between Sweden, Denmark, France, and Germany. Based on the true story of Saeed Hanaei, a serial killer who targeted sex workers and killed sixteen women from 2000 to 2001 in Mashhad, Iran, the film depicts a fictional female journalist investigating a serial killer.
The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on 22 May 2022. Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who starred in the film, won the festival's Best Actress Award. The film was selected as the Danish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards, and made the December shortlist.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Officer Relaxing After Duty | Yes | Yes | Short film | |
| 2010 | In the Darkness Is the Light | Yes | Yes | Short film | |
| 2011 | M for Markus | Yes | Yes | Short film, also editor | |
| 2016 | Shelley | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2018 | Border | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2022 | Holy Spider | Yes | Yes | Also co-producer | |
| 2024 | The Apprentice † | Yes | No |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode/s | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Last of Us | "When We Are in Need", "Look for the Light" | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
Critical reception
| Year | Title | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Shelley | 92% | 62 | ||
| 2018 | Border | 97% | 75 | ||
| 2022 | Holy Spider | 84% | 66 | ||
| 2023 | The Last of Us | "When We Are in Need" | 96% | 84 | |
| "Look for the Light" | 89% | ||||
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodil Awards | 2017 | Best Danish Film | Shelley | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Best Non-American Film | Border | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Best Danish Film | Holy Spider | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
| Cannes Film Festival | 2018 | Un Certain Regard | Border | Won | |
| 2022 | Palme d'Or | Holy Spider | Nominated | ||
| Chicago International Film Festival | 2018 | Gold Hugo | Border | Nominated | |
| Cork International Film Festival | 2018 | Spirit of the Festival Award | Border | Won | |
| Denver International Film Festival | 2018 | Krzysztof Kieslowski Award | Border | Nominated | |
| European Film Awards | 2018 | Best Film | Border | Nominated | |
| Best Screenwriter | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | Lux Award | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Best Film | Holy Spider | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenwriter | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Nominated | ||||
| Fantastic Fest | 2022 | Best Director | Holy Spider | Won | |
| German Film Award | 2023 | Best Director | Holy Spider | Nominated | |
| Best Film in Bronze | Won | ||||
| Goya Awards | 2020 | Best European Film | Border | Nominated | |
| Guldbagge Awards | 2019 | Best Director | Border | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Jerusalem Film Festival | 2018 | Best International Film – Honorable Mention | Border | Won | |
| 2022 | Best International Film | Holy Spider | Nominated | ||
| Los Angeles Film Festival | 2018 | Best World Fiction Film | Border | Won | |
| Munich Film Festival | 2018 | CineVision Award | Border | Nominated | |
| Norwegian International Film Festival | 2018 | Film Critics Award | Border | Won | |
| Oslo Films from the South Festival | 2022 | Silver Mirror Award | Holy Spider | Nominated | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 2019 | Directors to Watch | Border | Won | |
| Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | ||||
| Robert Awards | 2017 | Best Original Screenplay | Shelley | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Best Non-American Film | Won | |||
| 2023 | Best Danish Film | Holy Spider | Won | ||
| Best Director | Won | ||||
| Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||||
| San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film Festival | 2018 | Blogos de Oro for Best Feature | Border | Won | |
| Seville European Film Festival | 2022 | Golden Giraldillo | Holy Spider | Nominated | |
| Stockholm Film Festival | 2022 | Bronze Horse | Holy Spider | Won | |
| Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 2022 | DDA Spotlight Award | Holy Spider | Won | |
| Transilvania International Film Festival | 2016 | Transilvania Trophy | Shelley | Nominated | |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | 2018 | Golden Spike | Border | Nominated |
References
External links
- Ali Abbasi at IMDb
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